A new beginning
by the crazy cat lady
Summary: Who knew that a terrible accident could lead to something beautiful, something that they knew even believed existed... M for mild language
1. Chapter 1

My breath caught in my throat as darkness slowly slunk into the streets. Although I had never admitted it to anyone, I was petrified of the dark. I slept with the light on at night. Right now, I was three blocks from my hotel room and I could barely see my feet. Not to help things, the rain was that heavy it distorted my vision. I didn't think it ever rained this hard in Italy.  
I knew it was a bad place to cross, but I was desperate to get inside, in the warmth and the light. I dashed out onto the road, briefly checking for headlights in either direction.

Suddenly I was airborne, an impact from the side tossing me like a ragdoll. I saw the gravel coming closer at an alarming speed. The pain started before I hit the ground.  
I felt the rough of the gravel grate at my skin. My vision went dark. Someone was screaming. I realised it was me. My skin prickled with numbness, some of my wounds dulling to a throb. Everything hurt so much I couldn't focus on one injury. It was overwhelming. My vision became dim. _I'm going to die,_ I thought. _No one even knows, cares, I'm here._ Maybe it was for the better. They were all happy with their mates and I was only a burden.  
"Tanya!" Footsteps rushed toward me. "Tanya please wake up," they begged me, their voice shaking. I begrudgingly opened my eyes. The agony began as soon as I was re-awakened. I screamed.  
"It's okay, Tanya calm down, it's okay." They sounded relieved.  
I tried to tell them it wasn't, that I couldn't breathe and thought I was going to pass out and throw up and the same time, but no sound came out. Only a whimper.  
I was in the air again. Floating this time, not uncontrolled falling. When I was moved I felt something inside of me grind against something it shouldn't. The pain was unbearable. Sobs wracked my body, not helping my situation. When I was put down again I was out of the weather and gently settled.  
"You're bleeding, I need to take your jacket off, okay?" The voice was vaguely familiar and it was comforting. They gently moved my arms into a more comfortable position, the sleeves of my coat pulled straight. The small movement hurt an unbelievable amount. I cried out.  
Something cold ran against my skin, something metal. My coat came away and the cold wrapped around me. Something warmer, only slightly damp was laid over me, smothering the chilled air. As a sea of flashing lights appeared, I was only vaguely aware that something was being tied around my arm.  
More hands grabbed at me, not gentle like the first, and voices barked at each other. I could hear the original one protesting as they were pushed away.

I don't know how many times I screamed while being lifted into the disorientatingly white room. As the world began to shift under me as if I was in a vehicle – each small jolt causing a shock of hurt – my stomach turned. Bile rose in my throat. I gagged just as someone held a plastic container in front of my mouth. I would be eternally grateful but was still coherent enough to feel a bit embarrassed. They pulled my hair out of my face and rubbed my back. Although I was freezing, their hands were still icy and I could feel them trembling. They stayed until I couldn't feel the movement stopped.  
They squeezed my hand. "I have to go, Tanya, so they can help you, but I'll see you as soon as it's done, okay? You'll be fine, they'll know what to do." He had a slight English accent and sounded upset. I struggled for a name and came up with nothing. Dread filled me as they let go and stepped back.


	2. Chapter 2

Begrudgingly I opened my eyes. The felt as though they had been grated with sandpaper. Gently, I probed the bandages on my arm, exploring the crevasses of the stretchy fabric with my fingers.  
"Glad you're awake," a voice said. I glanced up – too quickly, the room spun – in search of the voice.

A woman stood in one corner of the room, her nimble hands folding towels. Her brown hair fell in curls over her shoulders, partly hiding her soft features, her beautifully pressed clothes pure white.

With a start I realised it was Aro's wife.

She laughed. The sound was musical. "I'm not going to hurt you, Tanya."  
I continued to steer at her like a deer in headlights.  
"It's okay, really. He would kill me if I let anything happen to you. Actually, the poor child was terrified that you wouldn't make it. I had never seen him cry before until yesterday."  
"How long-" I cleared my throat. "How long have I been here?"  
She paused in thought. "Well, you came in on Wednesday night, and it's now Sunday afternoon." She waited, knowing I was about to assault her with more questions.  
"What happened?" I wasn't sure I wanted to know.  
"You were involved in a hit and run."

She laughed again. "You were hit by a car of some description."  
"Was the driver here?" I asked unsurely, thinking that that was the 'he' Sulpicia was referring to. I wasn't sure I wanted to see him.  
"No… he didn't stop."  
"Then who called the ambulance?" Why I cared I would never know.  
"Cullen did." She said it like I would understand who it was, but I didn't. The name was familiar, but the only Cullens my family knew were our sworn enemies now, and we hadn't spoken to them in almost an eternity.  
"Okay."  
"I can call him if you like, but he will probably be back later. He has been coming in to check with us whether or not you had woken up. He stayed the first night, but I sent him home because his nerves were getting the better of him. He thinks you won't want to see him anyway, I don't know why-" she stopped herself suddenly and looked down at her slim fingers. "Never mind. Forget it."  
I wanted to ask why, but Athenadore came in and they left together.

My skin itched under the bandage. It was all my mind could think of. Aside from counting the dots on the roof – of which there were 5297 - I had no other source of entertainment.  
"Do you want to meet your saviour?" Demetri asked, smirking from the door way. He glanced over his shoulder. "Come here, she's not going to hate you, is she," he chuckled quietly at whoever was outside.  
"I don't want to-"  
"Yes you do." He disappeared and shoved someone into his place. We both froze.  
"I'm sorry I know you don't want to see me and I deserve that but I just wanted to make sure you were okay." He spun around to leave.  
"Carlisle," I murmured mostly to myself, then; "Carlisle!" I yelled but he was gone. I struggled to try and stand, but a brace on my leg restricted me. "Come back, I can't bloody well chase you!" I meant it light heartedly, but when he did reappear he looked nervous, like he expected me to yell at him again. I guess I sounded angrier than I felt. "Why would you think I didn't want to see you?" I asked gently. He looked at his feet. I knew it was a dumb question. He mumbled something but I didn't catch it.  
"Are you okay?" he asked. "I mean, you're not going to die?"  
I almost laughed at how bluntly he put it but stopped myself. "I'm fine- I mean, um, stable, I guess."  
"Then I'm going before I get you in trouble." Again he was gone before I could say anything. Although it hurt, I guessed he was right: Esme would kill him if she knew where he had been, and I don't think Kate would have been too impressed either.

"What did you do to him?" Jane asked as she hooked up the new drip.  
"Nothing, I don't think. Why?"  
She shrugged. "He looked quite upset, that's all. Maybe it was about something different."  
I suddenly missed him and wanted him to come back badly. "Oh, okay."  
"If you don't mind me asking, what happened between you guys? Didn't your covens used to be pretty close?"  
"Well, Kate and Esme were fighting and somehow the rest of us just got dragged into it. It got sort of, um, violent, toward the end though. I think that's what most of our problems were about."  
"…What were they fighting about?" I got the feeling she was just keeping me talking to take my mind off her work.  
"I think somehow Sasha got brought up, and then someone else – being Irina of course – decided it would be a good idea to drag Carlisle into it and compare the two, seeming as they are both 'strong willed' and tend to break all the rules. Apparently Esme didn't like it, and Kate just likes fighting people for the fun of it as Garrett found out, and so it began. Now we don't speak because we're all too immature to deal with it." I doubted the last bit. I might be true for me and my coven but I was ninety per cent sure Carlisle only went along with it because he enjoyed being married.  
"And you're all just happy to never speak again?" she asked sceptically.  
I shook my head. "It's killing Garrett. He hates that he can't talk to Carlisle anymore."  
"Trust me, it didn't go down well on the other end either."  
"Hmm." I looked at my hands, feeling incredibly guilty.

"I'm so bored!" I whined to Sulpicia. She just laughed and shook her head. "Really. I think I'm going to literally die of boredom!"  
"Well, it would be a first."  
"Ugh."  
She laughed again. "You can go home in about three days."  
"I can't wait that long," I complained, chuckling myself. She was spending her lunch break sitting with me.  
"Have we got hold of anyone to look after you when you do get back?"  
"I can look after myself."  
"Oh sure, where have I heard that before," she snorted.  
"He managed!" Jane yelled through the wall.  
Sulpicia rolled her eyes. "You still need someone." I groaned. "And he didn't manage by the way, Carlisle just has a high pain tolerance," she added as an afterthought.  
I felt myself deflate when she mentioned his name.  
"I see how it is, you want him to come back, don't you?" she giggled.  
"No," I argued quickly. She raised her eye brows. "Yes," I mumbled as quietly as I could.  
"Whhhyyy don't you ring him?" She grinned teasingly.  
"Because he doesn't want to talk to me." I sighed. "And even if he did, Esme wouldn't be happy and I don't want to get him in trouble."  
Her smile faltered and then faded. "I'm calling him." She started getting off the bed.  
"No!" I sat up sharply, but had no means of stopping her.  
She didn't say anything as she disappeared out the door.  
I hoped she was kidding.

**A/N: I know its not exciting yet but it will get better. I promise :D**


End file.
